Pensacola City Administrator announces demolition schedule for Baptist Legacy Campus

David Stafford, the Pensacola City Administrator, said demolition of the Baptist Towers at the Baptist Legacy Campus is expected to begin within a week after required permits are approved, with crews starting on Tower 1 and proceeding floor by floor.

The update, delivered as the Mayor's Minute, laid out the demolition sequence and timelines and stressed safety and cleanup plans. "The demolition of the Baptist Towers is expected to begin here within the next week after that permits have been approved," Stafford said, noting the phase includes the connector building and the tower buildings on the north side of the campus near Avery Street.

Stafford provided details on debris handling and abatement. He said debris will be routed along Moreno Street toward E Street before being taken to regulated landfills. "The abatement process is now nearly 80% complete and should wrap up in July," he said. Stafford also reassured residents that "all required safety protocols remain in place."

Stafford gave a projected completion window for the demolition itself: "The entire demolition process should be complete by December of 2026 or in January of the following year." He said site cleanup and restoration would begin after demolition, likely starting in January and wrapping up about June 2027.

For residents and stakeholders, Stafford invited the public to a sidewalk talk at the project site on July 21 at 7:00 a.m. and directed people to the project website, formerbaptistdemolition.com, for ongoing updates. The Mayor's Minute closed with Stafford thanking viewers and noting the mayor will return next week.

Next steps: permits must be approved before crews begin demolition, abatement is expected to finish in July, and the city will hold the July 21 sidewalk talk to discuss progress and safety measures.